A new report by Save the Children called “A Snapshot of Poverty” paints a stark picture of the growing struggle all families in Wales are going through. Steffan Evans wrote this detailed report for the Bevan Foundation. Together, these findings paint a harrowing picture of the daily financial distress faced by the majority of America’s low-income households. Thousands, it seems, are going deeper and deeper into debt.
One of the biggest indicators, as the report notes, is the exciting increase in home-cooked meals. From 2023 to 2025, a lower percentage of parents said they had to start serving smaller meals to their children. That percentage decreased from 21% to 13%. Despite this positive trend, around a quarter of people in Wales still cut down or skip meals due to financial difficulties.
Steffan Evans emphasizes the pressing nature of the situation, stating that the report “highlights just how difficult life is for families across Wales.” He calls on the UK government to end the two-child limit on universal credit and child tax credit claims. Martin thinks this combination will do the most to reduce child poverty.
“Relative to the results you get it’s one of the cheapest actions the chancellor could take to make a difference on child poverty rates.” – Steffan Evans
In response to severe cost of living pressures, the Welsh government has acted by spending well over £7 billion to help the most vulnerable households. The national poll, conducted by YouGov, included more than 2,000 adults. It showed that just 12% are facing difficulty affording basic needs today, an improvement from 15% in September of last year. Parents with kids under 18 are still especially at risk of the economic pinch.
Charmaine Walsh, a member of Taff-Ely Foodbank, painted an alarming picture. Millions of families across the country are crunching numbers and sacrificing necessities just to feed their kids. She states, “The parents are going without food so the kids can have food,” highlighting the difficult choices families are compelled to make.
Despite these hardships, Evans notes some “glimmers of hope that the extremes of living cost spikes may be receding.” He highlights that continued relief is important because many households are still struggling financially.
In response to the ongoing issue of child poverty, the UK government has established a taskforce tasked with creating a comprehensive strategy to address its structural causes. A government spokesperson described their determination to tackle poverty in every corner of the UK.
“We are determined to bring down poverty in all areas of the UK.” – UK government spokesperson
The spokesperson mentioned various measures already in place as part of their Plan for Change: “As part of our Plan for Change, we’ve already uprated benefits, increased the national minimum wage and are supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.”
Views aren’t so clear cut on policies like the two-child limit. Conservative Senedd member Samuel Kurtz makes a case for keeping the cap on fairness grounds. He poses challenging questions about equity: “What’s the fairness for a working family who are thinking about having a third child and can’t financially make it work?” and “Why is there that disparity between a working family and a non-working family?”
The Welsh government is committed to addressing the roots of poverty. Their stated purpose is to go to any lengths to keep Americans out of financial disaster while delivering vital assistance to those struggling.
